“I will beat cancer by living every day to its fullest potential.” – Briel Zagarow

Sometimes in the world of cancer, all you can manage are the little things in your life. Briel Zagarow took great pleasure in taking these challenging little things and turning them into her “Little Victories”.

Briel Zagarow, our sweet and youngest WunderGlo Legacy Warrior, passed away on Tuesday, January 26, 2016.

Growing up in Jupiter, Florida, Briel was born to care about the universe. All of her life she had a passion to volunteer and give back; and she did just that to countless organizations. Throughout her life, Briel was involved with March of Dimes, Cystic Fibrosis, Susan G. Komen, American Cancer Society, Juvenile Diabetes, the Humane Society, Food for Families, and Toys for Tots. After relocating to NYC in 2007, Briel joined New York Cares, tutored at the 14th Street Y, and worked with Apple Arts, an after school creative expression program for children living in halfway houses with mothers released from prison. After her cancer diagnosis, the two Foundations that Briel really connected with were Colon Cancer Challenge and WunderGlo. Briel discovered Gloria and WunderGlo in late 2012 and quickly fell in love with the organization, its mission, and the Founder. She raised over $35,000 for these two organizations and her friend, James Kaiser, ran the Chicago Marathon in October 2015, in honor of Briel, and raised over $10,000 for The Wunder Project.

Briel carried with her Gloria’s “Every Day is a Chance” poem. She said, “I try to channel this poem and really let the meaning sink in every day. Every day is NOT a burden, it’s an opportunity to be happy and do something good, maybe even something great IF the mood strikes. I won’t lose to cancer by dying young. No matter how my story ends, I will beat cancer by living every day to its fullest potential.”

When we honored Briel with a Cancer Warrior Award at our September-2015 Gala, she said that to be in the same company with both Gloria and Annette Cook was a humbling honor that made her so happy and extremely grateful.

In mid-December, Briel asked her sister-in-law, Shannon, to submit WunderGlo for her company’s year-end charity contest. Shannon’s submission won. Also at Briel’s request, in lieu of flowers, all donations in her honor are to be given to The Wunder Project. Always selfless, always caring for others, and never giving up hope for our fight to one day end cancer, Briel’s generous heart has no bounds.

Briel Zagarow always found a way to Love Life‬. Her beautiful smile, generous heart, sweet and giving nature, and her graceful yet powerful presence will be missed by many. Please hold her husband, Jeremy Davis, her parents, Linda and Herbert Zagarow, sisters, Nicole and Calais, and all of her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

This cancer-world that we live in is truly heartbreaking. We are reminded daily to keep our game plan and goals in clear focus. We continue our mission to fund and find the cure for colorectal cancer, in honor of all of our cancer warriors, past and present, and in honor of our beautiful WunderGlo Legacy Warrior, Briel Zagarow.

Make a Donation to Finding the Cure in Memory of Briel Zagarow